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Hazardous or Dangerous Road Condition Accidents
During any given day or time of year, road hazards are present. Sometimes, we can avoid road hazards, whereas other times we simply cannot respond to them or do not have enough time to do so. In these instances, road hazards may cause accidents resulting in the loss of life and/or property, and personal injury. When this happens, it is important that you know your rights.In Illinois, roads are particularly susceptible to hazards due to the state being in a budget crisis. The United States Department of Transportation estimated that 73% of Illinois roads are in fair or poor condition, making Illinois roads first place in the nation in terms of poor maintenance. Furthermore, while poorly maintained roads create hazards, other factors can contribute to hazardous road conditions as well.
Types of Road Hazards
Road hazards come in many shapes and forms. Below is a list of some of the most common:
- Road debris
- Pot holes and poorly maintained roads
- Blown tires
- Parked cars
- Malfunctioning traffic signals
- Weather
- Pedestrians entering the roadway
- Construction workers and equipment
- Slow moving vehicles (e.g., agricultural vehicles)
- Animals
- Uneven striping or road surfaces
What if the Government is Responsible for the Hazardous Road Condition?
Typically, government bodies are immune from civil suit. That means that depending on the situation, you might not be able to directly sue a government body for compensation. However, there may be a claims process available to you that would allow you to receive reimbursement for your injury, whether that be to yourself or your property. The Law Office of Paul M. Marriett can assist you in this process and decide how to proceed with your case.
Illinois Time Limits on Filing Suit
Illinois sets a time limit of two years to file a personal injury lawsuit in the state’s civil court system. In most cases, this two-year time limit, known as a “statute of limitations,” begins to run on the date of the accident. Sometimes, however, a statute of limitations might run from the date that you discovered you were injured, rather than the date of the event that injured you. This later date is known as a “discovery date.”
For injury claims against a city or county, you have one year to file a lawsuit. The time limit to sue the state is generally two years, but you must file a formal claim within one year in order to sue.
A qualified personal injury attorney can help guide you through this difficult time and alleviate some of the stress.
Contact Us Today
For a confidential, compassionate, in-depth, free, and, most importantly, thorough consultation with a Rockford Personal Injury Lawyer about your hazardous road-related auto accident injury case in Rockford, Belvidere, Freeport, Rochelle, Oregon, Loves Park, Byron, Machesney Park, Roscoe, Rockton, or elsewhere in the State of Illinois, call or text message us at (815) 391-0089, or e-mail us 24/7/365. We offer in-office consultations, and routinely make visits to clients’ homes, hospital rooms, nursing homes, and other off-site locations to make retaining our services as easy as possible.